Their annual sales grew from $1.8 million in 2008 to almost $5 million in 2011, ranking Agent X in 1,637th place on Inc. Magazine’s 2012 list of fastest growing companies in America. Agent X was ranked 157th in the magazine’s Advertising & Marketing category.

Headquartered at 38 Commerce St. SW, Agent X designs and creates interactive events that you can view and play on your computer, smart phone or handheld device. Their work also can be found on interactive kiosks at consumer shows or museums.

At one of their online events, you may apply for a job, take a virtual tour of a city or vote for your favorite rock bank.

If you like the Agent X-created experience, you are likely to become an employee, fan or customer of the company that sponsored the online event.

For example, for the past two years, Agent X put together an online event for Charter Communications aimed at promoting Charter's high-speed Internet services in 45 college town markets.

To achieve that goal, Agent X created an interactive website that invited users to nominate their favorite bands for a grand prize that included a live concert that was broadcast in high definition for Charter customers. Users could participate using social media like Facebook and web-based platforms.

The Charter events generated more than 400 band nominations, 55,000 votes and 1.1 billion online impressions, Steketee said. “Both years, they’ve generated enough new subscriptions to justify the expense.”

When Norton Symantec introduced its new Cybercrime Index product, Agent X created an online production based in New York and London that used a flurry of technological features to attract the attention of consumers to the new product.

Other clients include Amway Corp. and Fulton Innovations, the Amway offshoot whose high-tech gadgets are developing a following in the consumer electronics field.

Agent X also has developed custom platforms for Career Builder Media aimed at attracting job candidates for their clients.

Steketee, a 1996 East Grand Rapids High School graduate and scion of the family that once operated the Steketee’s Department Store chain, said he plans to grow the business slowly and deliberately.

“I’d love to continue growing the business but it’s going to be very controlled,” said Steketee, who said the 5-year-old firm employed as many as 24 in its early days.

Today, Agent X has just 10 employees; six in Grand Rapids, three in St. Louis and one in San Antonio, Texas.

Many aspects of their projects are farmed out to other companies, Steketee said. “Think of us as a contractor and we’re building the house,” he said.

Steketee, who lived and worked in Chicago for ten years after graduating from Colorado State University, said he moved back to his hometown for its quality of life and its emerging culture aimed at millennials.

“You can’t think of a better place to have a family,” said Steketee, who lives in East Grand Rapids near his parents’ home.

Living and working in West Michigan isn’t a drawback in the digital age, Steketee said. “You don’t have to be in Boston or Silicon Valley to be relevant anymore,” he said.